Bundaberg man sets the record straight on gay 'lifestyle'

In a online story we published a letter by a member of the community who stated his opinions against gay marriage, along with a reply from Bundaberg man and musician Justin Standley.

Local man John Kitching weighed in on the debate, sharing with readers the normal lifestyle led by many in the lesbian, gay, bi and transgender community.

"We eat the same food as straight people, pay the same bills/taxes, we came from the same place as straight people, breath the same air and we walk our dog after we go to work each day," he says.

In the NewsMail's online poll in the original story, 81% of people said they supported gay marriage.

I WOULD just like to thank the News Mail for posting the articles by Justin Standley and Keith Hooper in the paper and on social media.

I don't know what the NewsMail's stance on the topic is but after reading the original letter sent by Keith and Justin I cannot help but think people's minds may be broadened for the better.

Homosexuality is in no way an ailment.

I am a homosexual male who has been with my partner for five years in March 2014.

We eat the same food as straight people, pay the same bills/taxes, we came from the same place as straight people, breath the same air and we walk our dog after we go to work each day.

Contrary to what a lot of people think, we do not live to party and promote promiscuity.

We actually sit at home on weekends and watch movies.

Maybe catch up with family and friends or go to the beach.

Most of my LGBT friends are actually the same... in fact I struggle to think of any who fit the unfortunate stereotype that has been burnt into people's minds by countless years of bad portrayals of our community.

I often wonder how many people who oppose homosexuality have actually sat down and spoken to someone from the LGBT community and made a judgement based on the person and not the glitter-clad youth on TV celebrating how proud he is after having a few too many.

That is one person in a community of thousands he does not represent all of us.

As a gay male I do not judge the whole straight community based on the actions of a few.

I am not a religious person but I do know the basic teachings of the Bible.

From what I understand, the Bible teaches love and forgiveness.

How can loving another human being, created in God's image, be such a terrible thing?

The argument could be made that Adam and Eve came first and that is how it should be.

I question this logic as Adam died when he was 930 years old and Eve was created from a rib.

How can something so outrageous be accepted as normal yet the idea of two consenting adults who love each other cannot?

Then there is the argument of Adam and Eve's relations with their own children.

Is the act of incest deemed acceptable?

On the topic of children, Justin hit the nail on the head.

Statistics have proven that children from same-sex relationships often excel at life comparatively to heterosexual relationships.

This in no way makes it a competition as to who can do it better and certainly does not make LGBT couples superior.

There is no universal way to raise a child and as long as children are raised to have respect for other people, are supported, cared for and most of all loved, it should not matter who it comes from.

At the end of the day marriage is not something that should be exclusive to an individual group of people.

Only a few decades ago black people where not allowed to marry white people because it was deemed unacceptable by people with very similar ideals, as the ones who oppose same-sex marriage today.

Imagine how silly you will look when history repeats itself and is changed for the best.